Angko, Kinakaw at Kutipyo

Mula Sa Isang Kapwa-Vinzonian

2008-12-20T21:08:00.016+08:00

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon sa mga kababayan ko sa Indan (Vinzons)!

Kumusta sa kaibigan ko sa mga sumusunod na lugar: sa danawan mag-ingat kayo sa paglusong dahil matalhuda at malusak. Tingnan ang dinadaanan sa bas-ig baka mahindas ng matatalas na damo at maantak pag nasugatan. Ingat sa paghakbang dahil maraming atul at alulunti. Ayusing mabuti ang pagtatalok at nang gulpi ang magapas at ani. Ayusin ang tresir para marikit ang paggigiik. Halduking mabuti ang dinulo at tahipang maige para matanggal ang ipa at makuha ang binlid. Hwag gulpihin ang pas-an nang palay baka mabakli ang leeg. Hwag kumuripas ng takbo sa pagpas-an ng palay baka mapasunggab. Ayusin ng salansan at wag ihalibas. Kung ang palay ay ibibilad sapinan ito ng trapal. Hwag idiretso sa tinampo para hindi maligis. Sa pagbibilad gamitan ng kalkag para matuyo ng maganda ang palay. Maghanda ng tirador para hindi kainin ng mga ibong simbahan, pitsiw, kuling, balinsasayaw, kilyawan , malipago, tikling, bato, bato, talaod, papan, maya... Kung ibebenta na ang palay wag ng ilagay sa kangga, magtanong muna kay Ate Mameng at ibang Molino sa presyo. At pag nakuha na ang bayad, hwag idiretso ang kwarta sa tupadahan, sabungan, tong-itan, anasan, lakhaw, pusoy dos, pusoy, lucky 9, madjong, bilyaran, shooting(basketball), supo, lastikuhan dahil wala itong mapupuntahan. Ibili na lang ito ng pagkain sa mga maglalako ng galyang, malig-ang, kanggos, mura, lukarin, aklob na mura, laya (niyog), uraro, paho, sandiya, kinalingking, butsi, sinaludsod, turon, maruya, angko, pilipit, kinakaw, adong, tira-tira, boto ni matong, kutipyo, kwati, pinag-ong,hulog-hulog, sinukmani, pinakro, tinam-isan, tinumok, nilubak, binamban, suso, kempe, ngok-ngok, tabagwang at nang siguradong ikaw ay busog. Pero ingat baka mabud-alan ka.

Paalala po lamang kung ikaw ay galing sa trabaho. Ugaliing hilodan ang katawan gamit ang labakara para hindi agis-isin at anghitin. At pagkatapos, tingnan ang kasilyas kung merong naiwang bunot at baging na pinang-iwang. Tingnan ang likod ng kasilyas.. baka mapulasi na maging dahilan ng iyong paglampadog.

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon sa mga kababayan ko sa Indan (Vinzons)!!!

Kumusta sa kaibigan ko sa mga sumusunod na linang sa Aguit-it, Mangcayo, Napulo, Manlucogan, Mantigbi, Balombon, Banawang, Laon, del Carmen, Lagpan , looban sa Pansol at
lugar ko sa Bulwagan. Kumusta ang makakati sa anas, lakhaw, supo, tong-it at pusoy.

Those Childhood Pursuits

2007-08-23T00:51:00.011+08:00

salagubang
Originally uploaded by chispunks

I've been warned many times by my mother since I was in primary school that she would stir-fry every sayabang she found in my pocket to which I always answered,

"Opo! Opo! Wala naman baga po."

avoiding any direct eye contact with her, rushing to our bedroom, while I prayed that she won't hear the noise of my sayabang army trying to scape from a can of Nido in my schoolbag. However, her stern warning and looks did not stop me from going out with my friends to hunt this winged creature. I was once a sayabang collector.

Let me tell you how me and my childhood friends went about our favorite creative engagement and how we avoided detection from grown-ups..

1. Assembly Time - Once the grown ups at home were busy doing their lesson plans, reading, sleeping or cleaning, I slowly went out of our house.. First checking our garden while carrying a bucket of water pretending to water plants a little.. then if no sign of movement from grown-ups, I zapped to our gate, carefully opening it.. avoiding the slightest squeak from the rusty hinge. Then another zoooom to Ate Rita's Sari-sari store, our favorite tambayan and assembly area. I usually arrived first, then came Amon, Pepito, Rosalie, Imelda, the Clacios, the dela Penas and dela Torres..

2. Route - Our most favorite was Ate Ester Culanay's backyard, the biggest yard with lots of sabahan. Next was that spot at the back of Petron where the Clacio clan lives. Last was a place at Tinago (Bautista Street) where the slaughterhouse once was.

3. Be Quiet. Don't move. Two basic rules of thumb when hearing some voices shouting curses why we are trespassing in their property.. Once the shouting subsided came the most tiring yet exciting part: "Tarakbuhan na!!!"

The best contraption we constructed was called molino. Using some thread, sticks and empty cans we salvaged from somewhere, we set-up a sayabang-powered mill that made some ticking sound while the poor winged-creature flew around tied by a thread to another thread then to a stick which knocks the can. I saw quite a number of kids doing this patiently then.

Three years ago, when I went home, I tried to look for kids doing the same sayabang-hunting ages ago. I was hoping that it has been passed on to some. Instead I saw kids with gadgets and blingblings... Indeed, time has changed and time can change people's ways of doing things.

Will I change mine?

"Boto ni Matong" and Other Legends

2007-08-13T11:02:00.001+08:00

maruya
Originally uploaded by marmalade mel

Two messages I received from two fellow Vinzonians moved me to put my thoughts into writing:

Excerpt from the email goes;

"I miss those delicacies sa atin pati yong pinag-ong at boto ni Matong (LOL)... na sinasawsaw sa Coke solo."

Yay, that reminded me of my own pinagong and pan legazpi days. On the way to St. Peter's Parish Church, that familiar scent of freshly baked bread from either Kuya Ismar's or Ka Matong's Bakery was something I enjoyed. After the "Breaking of the Bread" in the Church came another most awaited moment, the "Buying of the Bread." To me, it didn't go well with Coke solo. I prefer the "tsokolateng iput-ipot" made somewhere in Doongan by Ate Letty.

Erm, wait.. "Boto ni Matong?" my apologies to the relatives of Ka Matong, but this kind of cookie.. erm.. bread is something really enjoyed by many Vinzonians then. It was a good-to-the-last-bite kind of snack... something which looked like a finger (to describe it in a GP -film-rating way.).. if you belong to my generation, then no need for any graphic description. "Boto ni Matong," enough said. Sad to say, Ka Matong's Bakery was not there when I went home last 2005 and no other bakery seemed to make it after his bakery closed.

The letter continues;

"Yong maruya at kinalingking ni Ka Ning malapit kala Roe Ferrer na labingtatloy piso, miss ko din. Nabansagan din akong mahilig sa katapusan dahil gusto ko yung baraha, kutipyo, hakubina o kaya pansit na nasa barani ng saging. Iyak ako ng iyak dahil di ko matanggap ang bansag...lagi naman akong sinususot."

When the jeepney paradahan used to be near the Rural Bank of Vinzons, Ka Ning Clacio's makeshift stall stood at that end of Vinzons Avenue. Her golden brown maruya was something I always looked forward to every afternoon snack time.. Well, this one really went well with Coca-cola. I remember Ka Ning as somebody who took the earliest trip to Daet to do her marketing of saba and kamote. That was years ago. The last time I went home, her store was gone.. no trace whatsoever of her nipa stall and no familiar scent of maruya and kinalingking. Instead, I saw her carrying her usual basket. This time, not filled with saba and kamote but with some vegetables and fish... with her peculiar smile and way of walking... I wanted to tell her, thanks for her legendary golden brown maruya and kinalingking which I both miss so much.

The second message was a comment posted by Trina Molina-Pongco to my entry on Angko. Her comment goes:

I lived in Japan for 5 years and they have a similar kakanin over there, also called angko (anko in the Japanese syllabary). Now consider these two observations--(1)angko seems to have originated from Vinzons, with no other cognate or other similar product in the rest of the province, and (2)Indan used to house a sizable Japanese garrison during WWII--and I am almost convinced that some Japanese soldier must have introduced anko, with someone from Vinzons using ground peanuts instead of boiled beans. At ayun na nga, angko. Well, that's my theory. As for the kutipyo, wala nang iba pa kundi si Ka Matong ang may pinakamasarap na kutipyo. ;)

Her very intellectual analysis made me nod my head and say,

"Yeah! That fits. Angko and Kutipyo forever!"

And that really made me proud of my favorite... as something which can only be found nowhere else in Bicol or maybe the Philippines for that matter.

Boto ni Matong, Ka Ning's golden brown maruya and kinalingking, angko... Goodies found nowhere else except that place which was once called Tacboan then Indan.. now known as Vinzons.. that rustic place I call home.

The Hut

2007-02-07T13:42:00.000+08:00

Typhoons, though terrible, brought a different kind of happiness and thrill when I was in my primary school. To me, then, it was an opportunity for family-bonding. I can still see Apang balancing skillfully in the wooden beams of our ceiling.. then patching the nipa roof with some plastic mantle.. then trying to make the roof stronger by tying rattan while I guided him with the flashlight focused on the spot he was working on. After finishing this ritual, he would tell us to go and sleep on the bed under the kitchen table... Apang, Amang, Mommy, my Uncles and Aunts together in one bed under the table.. Lucky enough, Apang and Amang often put me in between them.. Though the space was cramped, I enjoyed it... Though there was only a single kerosene lamp flickering, it filled the small nook under the table.. Apang often asked me to guess what figures he made with the shadow of his hand.. Nights like these passed by so quickly.. The typhoon was out of my mind.. I didn't care how much havoc the strong rain and wind could possibly bring...

The next day, after the rain and the wind subsided, Apang together with my Uncles and I went around the neighborhood to find some interesting things to see.. Usually, bananas and coconuts were the most we found but sometimes birds with broken wings too. The clear sky was a total opposite of the things I saw around after a typhoon.. detached nipa roofs, damaged trees of sorts, flooded streets.. all in total disarray... With Apang and my Uncles in this strolling adventure, all went out alright.

Our ancestral house withstood a lot of typhoons and two major earthquakes.. Thanks to it`s mahogany posts.. The photo above reminded me of that place which had been a warm home to me when I was a young boy. I will never forget it's nipa roof, its wooden floor.. the huge mango tree where I used to retreat when I wanted to be alone.. the "balimbing" and guava trees i used to climb with my cousins.. the jackfruit which gave a pleasant smell while the fruitworms were having a feast.. the jasmine flowers (sampaguita) Amang used to put on her hair.. i just missed all these and all that happened that defined who I am now.

One afternoon I became excited when Apang showed me a blueprint. He said that the room in the middle of this house will be my mom's and mine.. Apparently, the old ancestral house will be replaced with one that is made of hollow blocks and galvanized roof... I was in grade 4 then.. After some months, construction supplies came.. I witnessed the old ancestral home being torn down piece by piece. Surprisingly, the mahogany posts were reused, thanks to Apang and Amang`s idea...

Now, in our place, you can see a house, withered slowly by time.. Apang and Amang have long been gone.. the mango tree was cut to give way to an extension.. the guava and "balimbing" tree died.. what's left is the mahogany post right in the middle of our house.. and some jasmine shrubs around the fence...

I can't turn back the hands of time.. I can't retrace the steps.. I can't just pick up portions and relive my childhood memories.. But when somethings go wrong, I usually remember and think of happy thoughts of childhood.. in that old ancestral home.. then, I can fly again..

Romancing the Angko

2006-11-28T17:42:00.000+08:00

For a long time, I've been thinking about where ANGKO really comes from..

Once, when the Philtranco terminal was still at Daet's town center, I happened to meet a woman carrying a basketful of native-Bicol goodies for sale. It was just some minutes before our departure when I saw her getting on the bus, placing her basket on the aisle and asking passengers if they wanted to buy. I watched her move her basket pushing it with her foot from one row to the other. It took some time before she reached where I was.

"Pili tart! Puto! Pandesilyos! Bili na Totoy!," she said.

"Saan po galing mga tinda mo?," I asked her just wanting to know if by chance she had something from Vinzons.

"Daet Totoy ang pili tart. Yung pandesilyos at angko sa Vinzons.," she answered as she showed me two packs: pili tart and angko.

"Angko lang po! Pampasalubong.," I told her as I gave her the payment.

"Dagdagan mo na, Totoy. Wala akong pangsukli. Itong pandesilyos masarap din.," she insisted.. to which I obliged at once.

As the bus left the terminal, I had an epiphany.. Is angko really from Vinzons?.. Well, at least in my fairy tale story..

Kutipyo Monologues

2006-10-01T17:05:00.000+08:00

I searched high and low for something that resembles kutipyo in taste and looks.. but this is the nearest I could get... at least in looks.. Gee, the taste of this one really pales compared to Ka Matong's and Kuya Ismar's kutipyo. Anyways, it is better than none at all.

Long before Oreo and Chips Ahoy became my favorite there was this snack which I can't live without.. something which I dipped in coffee until it softened.. something which I ate from the side to it's center..

I first tasted kutipyo during Nana Pili's Santacruzan in that house just behind ours in Sta. Cruz street. There was this big black wooden Cross which people prayed to singing "Santa Cruz de Mayo, bandera ka ni Kristo.." I religiously attended the Santacruzan not because I enjoyed the singing but more because of the kutipyo, jacobina, sputnik, baraha and other goodies which Nana Pili, wearing her baro't-saya, generously put on my folded shirt. She knew I was Poding's and Betty's grandson so she often led me to the kitchen where they prepared coffee, biscuits and all. I can't help but miss those days.. Since Nana Pili died, this thing had been transferred to Doongan.. The ritual continued but less that old woman wearing a traditional Filipino get-up and less that young boy who liked kutipyo.

I wonder if kutipyo is still known in Vinzons or if any bakery makes it just like Ka Matong and Kuya Ismar. I wonder if it is still the community's "official" snack in prayer vigils and funeral wakes... I wonder if people still eat it the way I used to.. dipped in coffee.. wait till it softens.. then from the side to the center..

Given the chance, I will put it back in the place where it used to be.. back to that role in the community... then from the side to the center...

Isang Paggunita sa mga Guro ng VPES

2006-08-16T17:31:00.000+08:00

Ang buhay ng isang guro ay maihahalintulad sa isang kandila.. Sa bawa't patak ng pawis.. sa bawa't andap ng ningas.. Sa bawa't pagbibigay ng liwanag.. katumbas nito ay ang unti-unting pagkaupos ng sarili...

Noon pa ma'y puno na ng "GURO" ang buhay ko. Nanggaling ako sa pamilya ng mga guro.. Sila Apang at Amang (kilala bilang Tata Poding at Nana Betty sa Vinzons) pati si Mommy. (Hindi ko sasabihin sino dahil may pahula daw si Tita Senen. Premyo angko ni Balanlayos.) Si Apang, NFE Coordinator sa District Office. Si Amang, Head Teacher sa Basud. Si Mommy, unang nagturo sa Calaguas hanggang sa madestino sa Calangcawan, Sabang at Central..

Dahil sa walang maiwanan sa bahay, lagi akong isinasama ni Apang sa VPES o minsan naman sa Basud ako kinakarga habang binabaybay namin ang maputik na daan papunta sa Mampili Elementary School. Minsan naman dinadalaw namin si Mommy sa Calaguas kung saan ako unang nakakita ng mga alon na kasinglalaki ng katedral. Sa mga pagkakataong ito ko unang nakatagpo ang iba pang mga guro.. mga guro na tuluyang nagbibigay ng sarili.. isang sektor ng pamayanan na pinakamahalaga subalit madalas nakakalimutan.

Hayaan ninyong ipakilala ko ang ilan sa mga naging guro (adviser) ko sa VPES. Naging bahagi sila ng buhay ko at ng iba pang taga-Vinzons.

Ms. Benildez Rigodon: Kinder. Natutunan ko kay Madam Nilding ang makisama sa iba pang mga bata. Masaya ako sa t'wing nagbabasa sya ng kwento. Nakakataba ng puso ang mga puri nya dahil sa maganda kong drowing. Masaya din ako dahil ang ganda ng bag kong de gulong na s'yang naging dahilan ng pakikipag-away ko sa ilan kong kakaklase.. eh sakyan ba naman nila eh.. Ilang araw lang ako pumasok sa kinder. Hindi ko yata nakayanan ang malilikot na mga bata. Sabi din ni Mr. Juan nung nakita nya ako sa bangka papuntang Sabang,
"H'wag ka na magkinder, Totoy. Alam mo na naman mga leksyon."
Kahit maiksi ang panahon ko sa silid-aralan ni Madam Nilding, na-miss ko din sya, ang mga kwento nya at mga papuri. Madam Nilding, Salamat po!

Ms. Fe A. Dating: Grade 1-Rosal. Sabi ng ilan, istrikto daw si Madam Dating dahil dalaga. Sa karanasan ko, parang hindi totoo na yun ang dahilan. Nung unang Flag Ceremony namin sa Grade 1, istrikto sya.. medyo nakurot ako sa braso dahil wala ako sa linya. Sa tingin ko, lambing lang nya yun. Seryoso sya kung kinakailangan at tunay na ina kung yun ang tawag ng sitwasyon. Isa ako sa laging nasa hulihan ng Row 1. Noong taong iyon ko nalaman na ang Row 1 dapat pala ay tutulong sa mga nasa Row 4; na kapag sweeper ka pala, dapat h'wag mandiri sa floorwax.. dapat pala hindi lang lampaso kundi pati ang sako ng copra ay maari mong gamitin... dapat pala dahon na lang ng upli ang pang-as-is para hindi na gumastos pa. Disiplina sa sarili. Pagtulong sa kapwa. Kalinisan. Paggalang sa Guro. Tiwala sa Sarili. Kailanma'y di mawawala sa akin, Madam Dating. Salamat po.

Mrs. Estela Q. Balon: Grade 2-Molave. Una akong umiyak dahil sa munggo noong taong ito. Binigyan kami ng gawain ni Madam Balon: Kumuha ng ilang butil ng munggo. Itanim sa lata. At pagmasdang mabuti araw-araw habang tinutubigan. Isulat ang mga obserbasyon sa papel. Nakakatuwa dahil una ko talagang napagmasdan ang unti-unting pagsibol ng mga munggo. Sino ba naman ang magaakala na sa ganun katigas na butil ay meron palang nakatagong buhay.. Umiyak ako dahil sa munggo.. Bakit? Dahil matapos ang ilang araw, itinaktak ni Amang ang lata. Nadaganan ng lupa ang munggo.. Hindi daw dapat sa lata ng Bear Brand itinatanim ang munggo. Yun pala, ang lata ng Bear Brand na nakuha ko ay ang ginagamit naming tabo sa kubeta... Umiiyak ako habang dinadampot ang mga kawawang munggo. Sa awa ni Amang sa akin, kumuha sya ng munggo at sya mismo ang nagtanim sa mas magandang lata. Ito ang dinala ko at ipinakita sa mga kaklase at kay Madam Balon. Unang natuklasan ko ang hiwaga ng buhay sa taong ito, Salamat po Madam!

Mrs. Remedios B. Galleta: Grade 3-Gold. Dahilan sa ang section na ito ang SPED, kami ang naatasang magbigay ng class demo minsan. Ewan ko ba kung bakit ako ang pinili ni Madam Galleta bilang lider.
"Madam, ano po ang isusuot ko dapat?," tanong ko sa kanya.
"Ay, mag-uniform ka lang at tsinelas.," ang sagot nya.
Nung hapong iyon, maraming gurong dumating at iba pang matataas na lider ng Departamento ng Edukasyon. Si Madam Galleta, naka-make-up.. suot ang unipormeng pang-guro at naka-simpleng tsinelas din. Habang ako ay nagsasalita sa harap lagi akong tumitingin kay Madam lalo na kapag nakakalimutan ko ang susunod na linya.
Nung taon ding iyon, nagkaroon ng lindol na napakalakas. Sa loob ng silid-aralang ito sa gilid ng stage kami inabot kasama si Madam Galleta. Tulad ng isang ina nakaya nya kaming lahat akayin palabas habang sinasabi nya na magingat at magdasal.
Kay Madam Galleta ko lubos na-gustuhan ang pagsusuot ng tsinelas - isang napakadakilang simbolo ng pagkakapantay-pantay.. Sa kanya ko din nadama ang lubos na pagtitiwala ng isang guro sa kanyang mag-aaral... Madam, Salamat po!

Mrs. Grace O. Molina: Grade 4-Earth. Napakasaya ng taong ito para sa amin. Dito unang nagsama ang mga nag-kinder at ang mga hindi. Lalong naging masaya dahil si Madam Molina ay ang pinaka-kalog sa lahat ng mga nakilala kong guro. Lagi s'yang nakapayong at naka-full uniform habang naglalakad papuntang VPES subalit pag pasok nya mismo sa silid-aralan, tinatanggal nya ang panlabas na blouse ng uniform dahil sa loob pala ay naka-spaghetti sya.. Naintindihan naman namin dahil ang kapal nga ng tela ng uniporme ng mga guro. Lagi kaming may joke-time sa klase. Kahit ang Math ay dumadali dahil sa may halong katatawanan lagi si Madam Molina. Sinikap nyang maging isang nanay, ate, lola, sa kanyang mga magaaral. Sa loob ng silid-aralan, pinagawa nya kami ng sala sa isang sulok kung saan may mga babasahin at mga educational toys. Sa taong ito, natuto akong lalo ng mga kaalaman, mga kaalamang hindi lang galing sa aklat kundi galing mismo sa halimbawa ni Madam... Nung taon din ito, saglit na pinalitan ni Sir Beda Asis si Madam Molina dahilan sa kinakailangan nyang pumunta sa Maynila.. Madam Molina, Salamat sa magandang halimbawa.. Salamat sa pagpapakita sa amin kung paano dapat harapin ang mga problema sa buhay.

Mrs. Rosabel R. Lukban: Grade 5-Pearl. Hindi ko malilimutan ang silid-aralan namin sa Gabaldon Building nung taong ito. Tuwing umaga, alam namin na padating na si Madam Lukban dahil sa mabangong simoy ng hanging pumapasok sa pintuan. Kapag may sumigaw na "Nayan na si Madam!!", titigil na kami sa anumang gawain at uupo sa kanya-kanyang silya. Napakalinis at napakaayos ng silid-aralan namin dito. Unang pagkakataon na nagkaroon kami ng sariling mesang nasususian. Dahil sa mga paalaala ni Madam Lukban, naging masinop at responsable kami sa aming mga gamit.. Noon ding taong ito nagkaroon ng Quizz Bee sa radyo at nakasali ang ilang kaklase ko. Salamat Madam.. naamoy ko pa ang pabango.. sariwa pa ang alaala ng berdeng kurtina sa kahoy na bintana ng Gabaldon. Naririnig ko pa din ang paalaala mo na huwag kami mangu-nguykoy sa ilalim ng Gabaldon dahil baka may sumanib na dwende sa amin... Humahagikhik pa rin ako kapag naaalala ko ang sinabi mo dati sa mga kaklase kong naglalaro ng Chinese garter na dapat iipit ang palda pagbagsak sa lupa dahil baka may masilip. Masaya Madam.. mga unang pagkamulat sa mundo na hindi na pala kami Grade 1.. Grade 5 na pala.

Mrs. Clarina V. Rigodon: Grade 6-Sirius. Hindi ko malilimutan ang Pasko nung taong ito. Nanalo ang klase namin sa isang paligsahan sa buong VPES. Ang naging resulta, nagkaroon kami ng party na may guest singer galing pa sa Daet. Masaya.. Sa t'yaga ni Madam Rigodon, kami ang nanalo. Ang Christmas Party din ng taong iyon ay naging masaya't malungkot.. masaya dahil sa marami handa.. malungkot dahil huling taon na namin matapos maging magkaklase sa loob ng anim na taon. Kung ikukumpara nung Grade 1, iba ang tungkulin sa Grade 6 sa pagiging sweeper. Kasama na dito ang paglilinis ng kubeta sa kaliwa at kanang bahagi ng Gabaldon pati na ang pagdidilig ng mga halaman. Naging bahagi rin ng ritwal ang pagsusulat sa VPES Newletter, pagbisita sa Aklatan. Huling taon sa mababang paaralan, hindi lang Chinese garter ang naging libangan.. isama na rin ang paliligo sa ilog at pamamasyal sa danawan sa Calangcawan, pamamayabas sa likod ng VPES, pangunguykoy sa ilalim ng Gabaldon, pagsusulat ng love letters at marami pang iba. Salamat Madam, mga binata at dalaga na pala kami.. Nagmistulang tulay ang taong ito.. tulay patungo sa kakaibang mundo.. at ang kamay mo, Madam Rigodon ang syang gumabay sa amin. Salamat po!

Sa anim na taon ng pagaaral sa VPES, naging bahagi din ng buhay ko ang mga sumusunod na guro: Ms. Lina Pajares at Mrs. Aida Vivas-Pilipino, Ms. Corazon Balon-Mathematics, Mrs. Surara-Agriculture, Mrs. Iluminada Jimenez-English, Mrs. Araceli Balon-Scouting at PE, Mr. Cornelio Balon at Mr. Asis-Scouting, Mrs. Garcia at Mrs. Raro-Home Economics, Mr. Argamosa-Industrial Arts, Mrs. Merle Ferrer at Ms. Petra Guinto-Music; Tata Kadi, Kuya Bunggay, Tata Kune, Mr. Rizalino Juan, Mr. Felicisimo Pagao, Kuya Indo, Kuya Karding at sa ilang bagaman nalimutan ko ang pangalan ay malinaw sa akin ang alaala ng mukha.

Tunay ngang napakahirap ng buhay ng isang guro subalit bagaman mahirap, naging huwaran pa rin kayo sa amin... patuloy sa pagbibigay ng liwanag.. Isa na rin akong guro ngayon.. at tulad ninyo, nagiging susi sa kaligayahan ko ang makitang maayos ang pamumuhay ng isang dating magaaral... Mabuhay po kayo!! Kalakip nito ang tuluyang pag-asam na sana ay lagi kayong masaya at nasa mabuting kalagayan!

Confessions of a Blogger

2006-08-06T15:12:00.000+08:00

First, I should thank you for finding time to read this blog.

Chances are:
1. You found this blog when you googled VINZONS.
2. You are my mom's classmate / kumare / kumpare / kapwa-guro / ka-handmaids.
3. You are my Ninang's Sister's friend.
4. You are one of my former classmates/teachers at VPES/SVS/VHS-Adamson.
5. You are on my Yahoo 360 and flickr dot com contacts.
6. or just someone passing by...

To whichever you belong, I still thank you... I have to tell you one more thing though: BLOGSPOT dot com is one of those sites currently banned in China. I've been trying to open and view the finished product of this blog but I just can't view it. So, as a consequence, there may be some layout concerns that I'm not aware of. I have to ask for your patience on that. Now, how do I post here? Hmmm, if I tell you the secret, you have to disappear.. In here, there is always a way to go around. I just hope that the site I'm using to update this blog won't be massaged by the Red Guards so I can continue with Angko, Kinakaw at Kutipyo. Pray with me on this.

I'm moved to write more frequently, say twice a month, since some kind persons have been promoting this blog to VINZONIANS all around the globe. PLEASE DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ HERE BUT RATHER TEST IT WITH YOUR OWN HEART.

I hope this blog makes you feel HOME wherever you are.. May Angko, Kinakaw at Kutipyo strike a chord with you. May it bring you joy, sadness, hunger, pain, laughter, tears and all that remind us that we are alive, broken yet shared and that such is life. Wherever you are, SALAMAT!

Mabuhay po kayo!! Pagpasensyahan na ninyo ang KAPUAWAN ko!
(UPDATE: Two days after I wrote that Blogspot is currently banned here, I was able to open and view without any difficulty.. Thanks to the Red Guards..)

Jess Pimentel: Kuya, Lay Minister, Gobernador

2006-07-14T19:35:00.000+08:00

I'm still trying to recall what your real name was.. Emmanuel? Jesus?.. I've always known you as our "Kuya Jess" from the time I've heard you over the radio to the time you became one of St. Peter Parish's Lay Ministers .. from the time you entered politics and became Camarines Norte Governor to the time you became "citizen Jess" again...

You were laid to rest last June, but it is my heart's desire not to let your life be forgotten... I won't let death defeat you by not remembering who you are and how you and Ate Puring became Vinzonians loved by many.

Philippine Politics is such a dirty dog-eat-dog game where, if one has no integrity, one will surely be eaten by the monstrous system. I have the feeling you don't belong there but, Kuya Jess, your desire to serve the people of Camarines Norte made you decide to enter such a dangerous arena. Many people look up to you for that. I look up to you for that. Don't worry, Kuya Jess, despite the fact that you were included in Senator Miriam Defensor's list of Coddlers of Illegal Loggers, our love for you will never change because we believed in you more than anybody else... Vinzons will always be proud of her son!!

Our most memorable meeting was somewhere in Bulwagan one summer morning. I was biking back from Del Carmen, a bit soaked from swimming. You were on a bike too. I just can't help but smile seeing a Provincial Governor so very simple.. riding a bike.. no bodyguards.. just that old bike you had.. white shirts.. creme shorts.. flipflops (spartan I suppose).. I'm sure, you felt very safe in Vinzons.. I'm sure your office haven't changed you at all..

"Kuya, san po punta mo?," I asked you while I put my bike to a stop.

You stopped your bike too and answered, "D'yan lang totoy sa Mangcawayan."

The conversation ended with me saying, "Sige po, Kuya, mauna na ako."

After biking for about 500 meters, I looked back and saw you stopped again to talk to some other people.. people who were farmers, I suppose, on their way to the town market to sell their harvest... I just couldn't help but wonder how many stops you made everytime you went biking.. Or how many people you talked to every time you went for a walk. If only all politicians were like you then our country will be a better place to live in..

Your service to St. Peter's made real the oneness of Church and State... Through you, Vinzons has seen the epitome of a Public Servant... Now, I know why everybody called you "Kuya." You've always been there for others..

JESS PIMENTEL: LAY MINISTER, RADIO ANNOUNCER, GOBERNADOR, KUYA.. Mabuhay ka!! We love you!!!
http://bombodaet.info/news/?p=20

Lola Gunding: Laundrywoman, Healer

2006-06-07T21:42:00.000+08:00

How can I ever forget you, Lola Gunding?

How can I forget when I first met you under that kalachuchi tree. You were seated on that small laundry stool patiently doing the first rinse on those dirty clothes. You had one gold tooth which showed itself when you smiled and greeted us as you turned the faucet on, slowly moving that small stool and metal basin toward you. I saw your ritual.. patiently doing things again and again.. rinsing.. emptying the basin.. until clothes were clean enough and ready for hanging on the clothesline. That pail full of clothes was heavy for you yet you lifted it with your two hands... You then hanged the clothes inside out, carefully putting pins on each end... Then that bamboo pole.. three times your height.. you slowly placed in the middle of the two intersecting lines as this adjusted how high those lines can go... How can I forget you on this first meeting when my mom and I visited her younger sister living on that street named San Roque? I was 6.

How can I forget you when, several months after that first encounter, you came to wash our clothes as well? I came to know you somehow.. That you like putting a bit of make-up and lipstick after your so called shift... That you like earrings, bracelets and other accesories... That you like ballroom dancing and singing traditional Filipino Music... That you came to appreciate so much what we gave you although some of those things were already used... I remember you trying on my mom's old creme teacher's uniform which you liked so much. You wore that when you went home that day...

How can I forget you when you told us that there is a love affair in the offing between you and another senior person your age. We couldn't help but laugh..

How can I forget you when you always came back to us outside your working hours everytime somebody was ill in our family. (That somebody was often me.) You possessed some divination and healing powers some of which you shared with us. It was you who taught me how to mumble a special prayer to the Sto. Nino and to offer some fruits, candies or somethings that a child like me would love. "Suob" is a healing ritual you often performed on me.. that dry coconut shell with some soil and burning charcoal.. that smoke coming from the incense, myrhh and alum... that oil you put over the melted alum on a plate.. those gibberish you mumbled as you made cross-marks on my different bodyparts...

How can I forget you when you taught us some incantations and rituals so my sister would be returned to us. One thing for sure, you knew so much of these things and you used them to help others.

I'm sure you've been a part of many families in Vinzons in more ways than one: laundrywoman, healer, teacher of secret arts and crafts, story-teller. I hope their memories of you will never ever be forgotten. Although you passed away years ago without much flare, many things still remind me of you... simple things that you came to love... And I smile.. I dance.. I mumble.. for I know you are still here.

Tata Pino: The Towncrier

2006-05-31T20:02:00.000+08:00

Who is Tata Pino? And how did he become a part of life of every Vinzonian?

"Tata Pino, sino po ang patay?," people usually asked you as you pass by to which you replied the full name plus the time and date of final internment of the person who recently died in our town.

I remember you walking with a slight limp.. white shirt.. brown shorts... carrying that small old bell which made rhythm of sorts. Your manner of walking made the sound of that bell even louder compared to the version of the local ice cream vendor. People knew it was none other than you if the sound was "thump, thump, ring.." and not "ring.. ring.. thump.." You did this job of announcing dead peoples names religiously inspite of some difficulties. Everybody knew you were hearing-impared yet some people made fun of you by asking you some questions to which you replied dead people's names. No matter what questions, if you have that bell, you always answered dead people's names.

I never discovered where you really come from. All I knew was you were already at St. Peter's Parish since the time I was born.. since the time Fr. Juan Chavez was the Pastor. You were never married, I presumed. I saw you cleaning the church. I heard you ringing the church bells for the morning and evening Angelus. I saw you driving away bats out of the church ceiling. Moreso, I saw you slowly losing yourself to your age... to your service to the town you called home...

The last time I saw you, you were shouting.. shouting something which made no sense to me ... angrily.. definitely not dead people's names this time... something which to me was gibberish. It seemed you now have a world of your own.. a world whose fences have been fortified... a world no one else can understand but you...

"Tata Pino, sino po ang patay?" It seems this question will be left unanswered for the time being... until that time we find you again, Tata Pino.

Kuya Rado: Electrician, Kumpare, Kainuman

2006-05-17T15:39:00.000+08:00

I received a message from home telling me of Kuya Rado's death and final internment.. the afternoon of May 17, 2006.. I got it this morning, the same day he will be finally laid to rest...

Who is he? What do I know about him? And how is he a special Vinzonian in more ways than one?

Kuya Rado and his siblings have a family compound just at the street next to us which we all know as "Tinago".. somewhere near the town slaughterhouse. Every morning, when I was in primary school, I always passed by this street on my way to Vinzons Pilot Elementary School. Along their street, there was a thrilling shortcut which my classmates and I often took on our way home.. A shortcut that has a small creek, tall mango trees and those big dogs.. Their street has some outworldly features maybe because of a long line of tall trees and ancestral houses. Kuya Rado's mother, Nana Ina, is a healer. She can do the local healing ritual known as "suob" so at times when I had fever she was then at our beck and call.

Kuya Rado has a brother, Kuya Didak, who became closer to me.. first because he was my maternal uncle's friend and second because he was more loving and friendly.

Every now and then, I saw Kuya Rado riding his motorcycle on his way to home and work. I heard he was working for the electric cooperative as an electrician..

"Hello, Totoy," he often greeted me with that trademark smile as he slowed down his driving.

Actually, he was my father's bestfriend. My father often went to their place for they were drinking-buddies of sorts. Because of this, I tried to avoid him and anything that has to do with the word "alcohol" and "daddy".

One memorable day with Kuya Rado was when he visited me at school. I was in Grade 5, Primary School then.

"Hello, Totoy, Kumusta?," he started as he saw me walking towards the canteen.

My class adviser told me to go to the canteen because she said someone was waiting for me.

"Totoy, may gustong makipagusap sa 'yo," he went on without any hesitation.

I was puzzled and asked, "Sino po?"

"Dun tayo totoy sa loob," he said as he put his hands on my shoulder while we entered the canteen.

"Totoy, si Daddy mo," he said as he wiped his tears from his eyes.. letting go of the long-held lump on his throat.

It was my first time seeing my father face to face.. that close.. no barriers.. no fence.. no defenses.. all because of Kuya Rado.. During that meeting, I cried all the time.. Kuya Rado cried.. the teachers around me cried... I could not exactly remember what words were said. I can only remember Kuya Rado sitting beside daddy. I was seated on Daddy's lap locked in his tight embrace... even more locked because Kuya Rado was tightly hugging both of us... and we were all in tears.

"Pasenya na anak," Dad said.

To which Kuya Rado echoed, "Pagpasensyahan mo na si Daddy mo. Mahal ka nyan."

This meeting ended when my maternal grandfather passed by on his bike on his way to his office. The teachers were all nervous that my grandpa would discover that they were accomplices to this meeting. Dad and Kuya Rado said goodbye.. I went back to the classroom feeling as if millions of gallons of tears were lost. I felt refreshed after that kathartic moment.

Years went by and I left Vinzons. I only went home during the long breaks. I noticed Kuya Rado's signs of aging and the effects of alcohol everytime I saw him...

This morning, I got that message... Kuya Rado will be finally laid to rest this afternoon.. a bit more than three years after my Dad passed away.

Kuya Rado: KAPATID. ANAK. KUMPARE. ELECTRICIAN. KAINUMAN. Maraming Salamat!!! May you be welcomed with the loving embrace of our Creator!

Going Back... Coming Home....

2006-05-16T15:23:00.000+08:00

After months of inactivity, I guess it's time for me to resume and return to why I made this blog. "Angko, Kinakaw at Kutipyo" has to be all about that idyllic town in Camarines Norte.. Food.. People.. Religion.. Festivals... Crops and Livelihood. It has to be about stories of Vinzonians from all walks of life... People I knew.. People I've met... and most importantly people whose memories should not be forgotten... It has to be about typical Vinzonian Food.. from "tinumok" to "pili" tart.. typical religion.. from Roman Catholicism to Jehovah's Witnesses.. Crops and Livelihood.. from "sasa" to "copra". Festivals.. from "Penitensyahan" to "Harian"... All in a vibrant array of life in Vinzons....

Allow me then to go back.. Allow me then to come home.. to my hometown.. to myself...

Spring is Here!!

2006-05-12T13:53:00.000+08:00

The city where I am at is known for it's long winter months. Everything freezes and comes to a halt. Changchun literally means "long spring." As of now, I still can't reconcile why such a name... why not Changdong... (ChunTian:Spring/DongTian:Winter)

Being here in this city made me experience the four seasons in full splendour. Contrary to the wet and dry of the tropical Philippines, the climate here has distinct characteristics... Four seasons.. more clothing.. taking more closet space than ever... heavier baggage when going back home.

Spring is here.. Time to shed off some thick clothing... Time to learn from nature.. Time to refresh and start life anew... Moksha, at last!!!

Nunquam unum

2005-11-15T19:59:00.000+08:00

Flashbacks.. bits and pieces... waiting.. hoping.. praying that all my loved ones are doing well under the loving protection of The One..

Snow vs Puto-Bumbong

2005-11-15T19:46:00.000+08:00

Coming from a tropical country, I dreamed of having a "white Christmas".. a Christmas where the snow is not only made from shredded then whipped Perla bar soap mixed with egg-yolk.. Snow-covered pine trees are a sight to behold here in the city where I am at the moment.. Having experienced this makes me always want to go back home come December 16.. I can forego this experience over puto-bumbong, suman, sapin-sapin, pan de sal and Milo right after the Misa de Gallo..

Frozen Thoughts

2005-11-15T19:32:00.000+08:00

It's winter time once again.. time to put on thick and heavy gear.. it can go on for 6 long months.. everything moves slowly.. even life itself... but still the same, I always look forward to sunsets.. only then will another freezing day be over...

Memories of Apang and Amang

2005-11-15T19:22:00.000+08:00

People walk in and out of our lives.. but only a few leave footprints in our hearts...

I miss my maternal grandparents a lot.. To me, moments with Apang and Amang are the most memorable ones. Since I'm their first grandson, I got to spend a long time with them but moreso because Mom and I lived with them since I was two years old.. Both of them are teachers.. Mom too is a teacher.. And I am a teacher now too...

Apang, as we fondly called our grandfather, was a bit introverted compared to Amang... I think Amang had a stronger personality.. But both of them were very loving to us...

Last November 1 and 2... I could have gone to the cemetery to light a candle and say a little prayer for them but I'm far away from home.. So, in my own way, I want to remember them... What do I miss most about them? Apang... He usually gave me a kiss and a tight hug before he left for work. If I went with him to his office, I usually took the backride in his bicycle.. Amang.. She usually brought home some maruya (fried banana) and kinalingking (sweet potato fries). Everytime I went with her to her school, she would carry me specially if it was raining... I miss our weekend fishing when Apang and Amang went with all of us, my uncles and aunts and me..

I took the photo above because it reminded me of the same boat we used to rent and the same river in my hometown where we used to go fishing.. Simple living.. simple needs... Apang and Amang's legacy..

Now, my life is a bit more complex.. More needs.. more self-imposed daily necessities... I think it's about time I live a life... the life that Apang and Amang dreamt I have.

Of Sunsets and Egrets

2005-11-10T18:10:00.000+08:00

I always looked forward to sunsets when I was a kid.. it was the time you can see egrets flying in V-formation... used to watch them flying to the mountain while i was laying on the grass in our elementary school field.. This made my day complete then... Nature always paints an incomparable masterpiece at sunsets... an end with yet another beginning...

After All...

2005-11-10T17:53:00.000+08:00

The Beach.. a reward in its own right.. for people who want to be together with loved ones... for people who wish their ties strengthened and renewed.. If only Apang and Amang were here.. They will surely be happy and they won't blink..

Mother Earth

2005-11-10T17:49:00.000+08:00

Mother Earth has a way of nurturing each creature.. from birds to ants.. to wild tropical plants.. each coexisting.. fullfiling the cycle of life and death..

The Road Less-Travelled

2005-11-10T17:44:00.000+08:00

The dirt road that leads to the beach leaves much to be desired... the town cemetery is along the way... then a mass housing project.. bumpy, rocky... dusty at different points.. but then, the beach will be the trip's reward.

'Lo and Behold

2005-11-10T17:37:00.000+08:00

10 minutes away from the center of Vinzons is Del Carmen Beach.... along the way, one will see the beauty of nature...

Mountain Backdrop

2005-11-07T15:54:00.000+08:00

When the planting season begins, one can see such green vistas with the mountain as background..

Rice Granary

2005-11-07T15:37:00.000+08:00

Along the way to Vinzons, one will see an endless parade of rice paddies giving an impression of a rustic agricultural town. Located Southeast of Manila, barely 7 hours by bus...

Why this name?

2005-11-07T14:26:00.000+08:00

You might wonder why I chose this name... Well, these local food are my favorites.. Food specialties of the place where I come from.. Vinzons, Camarines Norte.. Where my relatives come from: Saavedra-Daton-Pajares-Avisado-Obusan-Guinto on my maternal side and Asis-Jimenez-Ilao-Soria-Balce-Vinzons on my paternal side.

Relax!! Enjoy!! And let's all have some angko, kinakaw and kutipyo..